As the number of people keeping a bearded dragon as a pet keeps increasing, the number of questions about correctly caring for a bearded dragon constantly increases each month.
Bearded dragons are the most commonly kept type of reptile in the world now and their popularity just keeps on increasing with each year that passes.
One question that we have noticed more and more people asking recently is if bearded dragons can get water in their ears or not.
Bearded dragons can get water in their ears if they are submerged in water or you mist their vivarium heavily but most bearded dragons should easily be able to get the water out of their ears with ease.
It is very rare that a bearded dragon will have problems removing water build up from their ears and it is usually only in very specific situations where you will need to intervene to help remove water from your pet bearded dragon’s ears.
Where Are My Bearded Dragons Ears?
Many people new to keeping a pet bearded dragon don’t even realize that their pet beardie has ears due to their ears not looking like an external human ear with a lobe.
Bearded dragon’s ears are the little holes on the side of their heads shown in the image above and as you can see, being a hole, they are prone to getting water in them when the beardie gets close to water.
Thankfully though, due to being a hole, it is usually very easy for your pet bearded dragon to get water out of its ears with a simple head shake without you having to help with the process.
Can Bearded Dragons Get Water In Their Ears?
Bearded dragons can get water in their ears and it is usually very easy for a bearded dragon to get at least some water in its ears if it ends up submerged in water.
It is usually very easy to tell if your bearded dragon has water in its ears as it will usually be shaking its head far more than it usually would.
In most cases, your beardie will only shake their head in this way for a short period of time as it is usually very easy for a beardie to get water out of its ears when shaking its head in this way.
In some cases, your bearded dragon may be shaking its head due to having an ear infection giving you the impression that your beardie has water in its eat when the actual issue is far more serious.
If you are in any doubt then get your bearded dragon to the local vets office for a check up as soon as possible to try and make sure that it is ok and not having any problems with an ear infection.
How Do Beardeds Dragons Get Water In Their Ears?
There are four main ways that your pet bearded dragon is able to get water in its ears and they are:-
- Large Water Bowls
- Bathing
- Swimming
- Heavy Misting
There are also some less common ways that a bearded dragon can get water in its ears but for the most part, the majority of our readers will usually find that it is due to one of the problems listed above.
Large Water Bowls
So many people use a water bowl that is just too large for their bearded dragon and this can make it very easy for your pet beardie to get water in its ears.
We know that water bowls designed for use with dogs are usually easier to find in stores while also being cheaper but using large dog bowls are usually more trouble than they are worth.
Not only do they increase the chances of your bearded dragon getting water in its ears but it also increases the chances of your bearded dragon drinking too much that can cause problems in its own right.
Bathing
Another very common problem that bearded dragons can have is bathing their bearded dragon.
Not only do many people bath their bearded dragon too often but they also use soap or other cleaning products that can cause issues with your beardies skin.
It is also common for water to get into your beardies ears during the bathing process too but in most cases, this really is the least of your worries.
Swimming
Some bearded dragons absolutely love to swim and it can be a great activity for your bearded dragon to do in the right circumstances.
If you are wanting to let your bearded dragon swim then keep in mind that water can rapidly decrease the temperature of your bearded dragon and dirty water can pose a risk to your beardie too.
As your bearded dragon swims around, the dirty water can get into your beardies ears and potentially cause an ear infection.
If you do want to let your bearded dragon swim around then putting a little water in your bathtub is usually more than enough for a couple of minutes of swimming but keep your bearded dragon’s temperature in mind!
Heavy Misting
Depending on the setup of your pet bearded dragon’s vivarium, you may have to mist the tank to help maintain the correct humidity levels.
Some beginners can be a little over zealous with their misting resulting in problems with the humidity in their beardies vivarium as well as getting water in their beardies ears.
It is usually less common for this to be a cause of water getting into your bearded dragon’s ears though and in most cases, the problems with your bearded dragon’s humidity levels will be the issue you have to focus on if you are misting too heavily.
Can Bearded Dragons Get Water Out Of Their Ears By Themselves?
The majority of bearded dragons are easily able to get water out of their ears by simply shaking their head vigorously.
Due to the ears of a bearded dragon being holes in their head, it allows water to quickly and easily be shaken from their ears if there is an issue with a water build-up.
As we mentioned earlier in the article, in some cases, a bearded dragon suffering from an ear infection will shake its head in the exact same way as it would when trying to get water out of its head.
In most cases, a quick visual inspection on your beardies ears will be able to give you a good idea of if the issue is an infection or not but if you are in doubt, take your bearded dragon to the local vets office for a checkup.
